Letter: Ineffective government

Why is our Congress wasting its time and ours on trying to pass a universal background check to give us the ability to buy a firearm? We already have a useable government background check system, maybe not perfect but a system that is in effect. And yes, it does work most of the time.

But then why would a system used by law-abiding citizens not work? For the most part, it’s the people who commit crimes that do not subscribe to it. They find other, illegal ways of getting their firearms. According to government statistics which they have published, there are thousands of people who have failed the background check and not been able to purchase a gun on the open market. These background forms, which are federal forms, have a place where the applicant must swear to the fact that all answers given are true. To lie on these forms one is subject to fine and/or imprisonment. But the government itself acknowledges that less than a fifth of people who lie on these forms are ever prosecuted and brought to justice. It seems to me if these individuals were prosecuted maybe our crime rate might go down.

This is one place where we might be able to curb some of our violence. Our government needs to start enforcing the laws we already have on the books. It is time our president and the Attorney General stop being selective as to what laws are enforced … not just the laws they personally believe in. A good example of the enforcement problem is in cities such as Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C., which purportedly have the highest crime rates where guns are involved. These cities have some of the toughest gun control laws in the country, but because the White House, DOJ and local governments refuse to enforce them, they have such a high crime rate. It is high time the government and DOJ refrain from preventing legitimate laws from being enforced and penalizing those that have sworn to uphold them. It is certainly obvious that our president and the DOJ are usurping the power of our Constitution and are trying to abolish it to serve their needs.